A Double Bay intersection where residents and nearby workers have reported years of near misses, congestion and driver confusion has secured $594,000 for safety design work, moving long-running local concerns into a funded planning stage.
The four-way junction brings together New South Head Road, Bellevue Road, Cross Street and Kiaora Road. For people using the area, complaints have centred on confusing traffic movements, long queues and repeated near misses.
Daily Pressure at Double Bay Intersection
Property manager Elena Sladkova, who works within view of the intersection, has described frequent near misses, regular horn use and motorists becoming uncertain about how to proceed. She also said there had been about three crashes during the previous month.
The concern has also been felt by nearby businesses. In 2025, business owner Pham Yang, who had operated near the intersection for more than two decades, described worsening congestion and frequent frustration as drivers unfamiliar with the layout were caught out by the junction.
The community campaign seeking changes also included accounts from parents avoiding the crossing during peak hour and residents reporting long waits and cars cutting through traffic at high speed.
Crash Record and Peak-Hour Queues
Transport for NSW data records eight crashes inside the intersection over a five-year period from 2020, including three crashes that resulted in serious injuries. A further five crashes were recorded in the immediate vicinity.
Separate figures used during the community campaign record nine injuries in crashes since 2019.
Woollahra Council has previously identified queues of up to 200 metres along Bellevue Road during the morning peak and raised safety concerns about the dual right-turn movement from New South Head Road.
By April 2025, the junction had become a priority in council requests for reviews of problem intersections along New South Head Road and Old South Head Road.
Funding Moves Into Design
The $594,000 allocation, announced on 10 August 2026, will be delivered under Round 3 of the Towards Zero Safer Roads Program.
Transport for NSW has said the funding will be used to develop designs aimed at improving safety at the Double Bay intersection.
Traffic signal upgrades and additional line markings are anticipated as part of the work. The funding is currently directed to developing the safety design rather than a completed physical overhaul.
The next confirmed stage is the development of that design, with the final configuration of the intersection still to be settled.
Published 11-August-2026
